1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an arrangement of keying features for preventing unintentional coupling of otherwise complementary connectors.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to prevent unintentional connection of incompatible devices having the same type of connector, a variety of arrangements have been proposed for keying the connectors so that only connector parts with the same pattern of keying features can be mated together. The problem of mismating a plug component with the wrong receptacle component is particularly acute in aeronautical and aerospace installations where a large number of electrical connectors must frequently be coupled together in confined spaces. While a number of solutions to this problem have previously been proposed, the solutions have tended to be both unduly complex and costly, involving multiple parts or adapters in addition to the standard connector components to be mated. Also, the prior solutions have provided only a limited number of possible combinations, increasing the chance of mismating.